Sidharth Luthra for Jaitley, Ram Jeth for Kejriwal in criminal defamation case [Read petition excerpts]

Senior Advocate and former ASG, Sidharth Luthra is representing Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the criminal defamation case against leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party. Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalani will appear for Arvind Kejriwal..The matter was listed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal in the Patiala House District court of Delhi yesterday, who, after hearing Luthra, posted the case for January 5..Apart from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leaders Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas and Deepak Bajpai have been arraigned as accused in the complaint for making allegedly defamatory statements against Jaitley in the scam relating to Delhi District and Cricket Association (DDCA)..In his petition, a copy of which is with Bar & Bench, Jaitley has alleged that the statements of the accused amount to criminal contempt punishable under Sections 500 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code..“…the complainant is filing the present complaint seeking criminal prosecution of the aforementioned accused persons 1 to 6 and thereby consequent punishment under Sections 499, 500 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 r/w Section 34, IPC. In the considered opinion of the complainant as well as the well-established principle of law and material available on record, it is absolutely clear and apparent that all the respondents/ accused persons are prima facie guilty of defamation by making/ writing/ publishing false and defamatory statements/ allegations in the print and electronic media against the complainant with the common intention and knowledge that such imputations and innuendoes would cause irreversible damage to the reputation, character and goodwill of the complainant both in his personal as well as his public life.”.Jaitley has alleged that the statements made by the accused was done with the object of deflecting the issues relating to recent CBI investigations into the conduct of a senior bureaucrat in the Delhi Secretariat..“The complainant submits that the false/ malicious defamatory campaign/ propaganda against the complainant and his family members is only to deflect issues from an unrelated act of search during investigation by a CBI of a bureaucrat in the Secretariat of Government of NCT Delhi…these false imputations have been knowingly made for the sole purpose of gaining political mileage and at the cost of causing irreversible damage to the reputation of the complainant.”.Jaitley has further claimed that he did not even take legitimate reimbursement of his expenses during his tenure as DDCA President and this can be proved by verifying the records of DDCA..“The Complainant has always remained concerned about his reputation and credibility and has always conducted himself with utmost probity and integrity in each of his action. Even when the complainant was discharging the functions as President of the DDCA, he had never imagined of taking any pecuniary advantage for himself or any of his family members. It is available on the records of the DDCA that what to talk of imagining taking of any pecuniary benefit, throughout his tenure as the President of the DDCA, the complainant has not even taken legitimate reimbursement of his expenses from the DDCA.”.Claiming that he has always enjoyed a reputation of honest and probity on account of his high moral values, Jaitley has prayed for issuing summons to the accused for offences under Sections 499, 500, 501 and 502 read with Sections 34 and 35 of IPC for causing irreversible damage to his reputation..Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, who appeared for Jaitley, yesterday told the court that the accused AAP leaders have made completely baseless and defamatory allegations against the Finance Minister regarding alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA)..“Jaitley has not drawn a single penny from the DDCA. Completely baseless and defamatory allegations have been levelled against him and his family members,” Luthra said..The Court after hearing Luthra admitted the case and listed it for hearing on January 5..Meanwhile, a separate defamation suit has been filed in the Delhi High Court by Jaitley claiming damages to the tune of Rs. 10 crore. It was heard by Joint Registrar (Judicial) Kovai Venugopal today who issued notice and granted the accused three weeks’ time to file their reply. The matter will be heard on February 5..Image courtesy:.Arun Jaitley.Sidharth Luthra